Descendant of former Mauritius Governor Sir Henry Barkly to visit Mauritius for reparations discussions
via Le Mauricien2 min read
A descendant of Sir Henry Barkly, the tenth governor of Mauritius from 1863 to 1870, is expected to visit the country in late July. An historian focused on the international movement for recognition and reparation of crimes against humanity related to slavery, this will not be her first visit to Mauritius. She has expressed a desire to contribute to the reparation process through development, education, and culture in the Barkly region of Beau-Bassin, which is named after her ancestor. Based in Norwich, the public historian specializes in the study of slavery, the British Empire, and their contemporary legacies. A former general practitioner, she has lived and worked in Zambia, South Africa, Scotland, and England, experiences that have fueled her commitment to social justice and combating the consequences of colonialism. Her research primarily focuses on the abolition of slavery and restorative justice. As a member of the Heirs of Slavery group, she also draws on her own family history, which includes slave traders, landowners, academics, and historians. She has presented works on Thomas Fowell Buxton, a key figure in the 1833 British law abolishing slavery, on female abolitionists from Norfolk, and on the complex legacy of slavery in Scotland. Her visit is linked to the First International Conference on Restorative Justice, scheduled for August 1 and 2, 2026, in Mauritius, initiated by the Kolektif Reparasyon Avansman Kreol KRAK. However, José Moïrt, a founding member of KRA
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